Jonathan P. Fadok, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Jonathan received his Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from the University of Washington, where his dissertation research with Richard Palmiter was supported by a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award. He then completed his postdoctoral fellowship with Andreas Luthi at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland. This work was funded in part by grants from the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. In the fall of 2017, he started his own lab at Tulane Universtiy. His research program is currently funded by the NIH, Louisiana Board of Regents, the Marko Spark Innovation Award, and a Lavin-Bernick Grant.

Email: jfadok@tulane.edu

Chandrashekhar Borkar

Postdoctoral Fellow

Chandrashekhar received his Ph.D. in Faculty of Medicine from the Department of Pharmaceutical Science, RTM Nagpur University, India. He studied the role of CART peptide in the neurobiological process of learning and memory for his Ph.D. thesis.  He is interested in understanding the neuropathological mechanisms of fear memory and affective disorders. Outside of the lab, he enjoys traveling with friends and photography.

Email: cborkar@tulane.edu

Claire Stelly

Postdoctoral Fellow

Claire received her PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and continued research at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is interested in how stress-induced changes in catacholaminergic signaling influence behaviors motivated by reward and threat.

Email: cstelly@tulane.edu

Eric Le

Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Program

Eric has obtained his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Neuroscience at Tulane, and now is pursuing his PhD in the Fadok Lab. He hopes to learn about the underlying mechanisms that drive anxiety and fear-based behaviors and eventually contribute to helping those who live with mental illness. When not at work in the lab, Eric likes to spend his time dancing, reading new books, and watching cooking shows.

Daniel Hereford

Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Program

Homegrown in New Orleans, Daniel returned from Baylor University in Texas to pursue his PhD at Tulane. In his undergraduate studies, Daniel focused on the biochemistry behind the anxiolytic effects of running. In Fadok lab he hopes to uncover the circuitry behind anxiety and the control that can be exerted over it. Daniel hopes to ultimately develop strategies to help us cope with the anxiogenic aspects of modern society. In his free time Daniel enjoys running in beautiful uptown New Orleans, listening to Carly Rae Jepsen, and reading for pleasure when he gets the chance.

Lydia F. Smith-Osborne, DVM

Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Program

Lydia grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to Texas for high school. She completed her B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. She then went on to receive a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University. She was accepted into the NIH T32 Fellowship hosted by Tulane University, a PhD program designed to train doctor-scientists and bridge the gap between clinical medicine and benchtop research. Her research interests include the biomolecular pathophysiology of neurodegenerative illnesses in mammalian species, and the neurologic basis of comorbid mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, long bike rides, outdoor yoga, and reading.

Alexis Resendez

Research Technician

Alexis is a graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she attained a degree in Biology with a minor in English. She enjoys exploring many facets of our world, from the complex study of neuroscience to mountaintops. In her spare time she enjoys live music, reading, and spending time with her pet, Albert the cat.

Rithvik Vutukuri

Undergraduate and CELT Summer researcher, Neuroscience Program

Rithvik is a Freshman from Kingsport, Tennessee. He is currently majoring in neuroscience and is planning on attending medical school upon his graduation. When he is not studying, he loves playing pool and ping pong, hanging out with his dog, and listening to music.

Catherine Vo

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Catherine is a Freshman from Houston, Texas. She is currently a majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Business Management on a Pre-Med track. During her free time, she enjoys photography, filming and editing, food blogging, crafting playlists, and playing piano.

Anh Duong

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Anh is an undergraduate from Hanoi, Vietnam, majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology and Psychology. She plans on attending Pharmacy School upon graduation. Outside of the lab, Anh is a Resident Advisor, a member of Tulane's AKPsi business fraternity, and enjoys photography and cooking in her free time.

Harrison Blefeld

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Harrison is a senior from Houston, Texas. He is currently majoring in neuroscience on the pre-med track and plans on attending medical school after graduation. In his free time, he loves playing and watching sports, being outside, and hanging with friends.

Avery Smith

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Avery is an undergraduate researcher from the Bay Area in California. She studies Neuroscience and Public Health, and she plans to attend medical school after undergrad. Outside of the lab, Avery interns with Lakeside Hospice. She loves to run and spend time with her dogs in her free time.

Alyssa Hall

Undergraduate researcher, Neuroscience Program

Alyssa is junior from Annapolis, Maryland. She is majoring in neuroscience and minoring in Spanish. After graduating, she plans on taking a gap year and applying to medical school. When she is not working in the lab, Alyssa spends her time serving at a local restaurant, leading trips for outdoor adventures, and volunteering for Hearts for the Homeless.